Italy's Inter Milan are the early favourites to sign fan-favourite centre-half and skipper whose contract with the Reds expires in the summer

Never again: Vidic displays the Premier League trophy on United's victory parade last May (Photo: John Peters)

Share

Get daily updates directly to your inbox

Thank you for subscribing!

Could not subscribe, try again laterInvalid Email

Nemanja Vidic has confirmed he will quit Manchester United at the end of this season.

United skipper Vidic has revealed he wants a new challenge and will leave the Old Trafford giants as a free agent in the summer after eight years.

Inter Milan are favourites to sign him, with their Italian rivals Napoli, Turkey's Galatasaray and French side Monaco also interested in landing the 32-year-old.

With Vidic having entered the last six months of his deal, he is free to sign a pre-contract agreement with a foreign club, although he faces a hefty reduction on his current £100,000-a-week wages.

Vidic’s agent, Silvano Martina, claimed only last month that United had raised the prospect of offering their captain a one-year extension, in line with their policy of players over 30.

But injuries and doubts over his ability to perform as consistently as he did in his prime, which made him one of the most formidable defenders in Europe, have helped sealed Vidic’s United exit.

Vidic said: “It’s the last year of my contract and I have had eight wonderful years here. My time at this great club will always rank as the best years of my career.

“I never could have imagined winning 15 trophies and I will certainly never forget that fantastic night in Moscow, memories that will live with me and the fans forever.

“However, I have decided that I will move on at the end of this season. I want to challenge myself again and try to make the best of myself in the coming years.

“I’m not considering staying in England as the only club I ever wanted to play for here is Manchester United and I was lucky enough to be part of this club for so many years.

“I’ve got a few options to move on and I will choose the right one for me and for my family.

“I’m now going to focus all my efforts on playing for Manchester United and do the best I can for the team until the end of the season. I hope this stops any further speculation about my future.”

Vidic’s imminent exit comes after United boss David Moyes earlier this season hailed him as the best central defender had worked with and said he was confident a new deal would be forthcoming.

Speaking in September, when Moyes was told Vidic was out of contract at the end of the season, he said: “I didn’t know about Vida’s contract. Ive not looked into it yet. I’m sure the chief executive and the club will be doing that.

“He’s not old. He’s a really top centre-half. The best I’ve worked with, that’s for sure.”

Vidic joined United from Spartak Moscow in January 2006 for a fee of around £7m and has since made 287 appearances, scoring 20 goals.

Vidic’s departure will spark a major defensive reshuffle for United, with Patrice Evra set to leave Old Trafford and doubts over the future of Rio Ferdinand.